British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed concern the Kremlin might begin using chemical weapons in Ukraine.
Russia’s claim that the United States is running a bioweapons facility in Ukraine is “straight out of Russia’s playbook” and could be used as justification to deploy deadlier weapons in the face of strong Ukrainian resistance, Johnson said.
“They start saying that there are chemical weapons that have been stored by their opponents or by the Americans,” he told Sky News. “And so when they themselves deploy chemical weapons as I fear they may, they have a sort of maskirovka, a fake story ready to go.”
‘MALARKEY’: US DENIES RUSSIAN AND CHINESE CLAIMS OF BIOWEAPON LABS IN UKRAINE
Moscow claims it discovered a biological weapons program in Ukraine backed by U.S. specialists involving lethal viruses such as plague, anthrax, cholera, tularemia, and other pathogens. Russians “urgently destroyed” the dangerous material on Feb. 24 and demanded an explanation from the U.S., according to Russian state-run news agency TASS.
Despite the U.S. fiercely rejecting those claims, Russian and Chinese state-run outlets have promoted the allegations without producing any evidence. The European Union has backed the U.S. and said it doubts Russia’s allegations.
“The credibility of information provided by Kremlin is in general very doubtful and low,” said EU foreign affairs spokesman Peter Stano, according to Euro News.
Russia has also accused Ukraine of developing a dirty bomb or hatching plans to blow up a nuclear power plant.
The Kremlin’s bloody assault on Ukraine has been bogged down by a string of military setbacks due to Ukraine’s powerful resistance.
The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense confirmed Russia has detonated thermobaric weapons in Ukraine, raising questions about war crimes. The destructive weapons can suck surrounding oxygen out of the air in areas where they are deployed.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Russia also faces scrutiny for bombing a hospital in Mariupol, actions British Defense Minister James Heappey told Sky News amounted to a war crime.
The United Kingdom has rallied in support of Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion, slapping hefty sanctions on the Russian economy and providing military and humanitarian aid. The country is currently mulling plans to provide Ukraine with anti-aircraft Starstreak missiles, which would mark a significant step-up from current military aid.
